Shoe Rack Unit and Corresponding Shoe Rack

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a shoe rack unit and a corresponding shoe rack, comprising: a main body, said main body is a hollow body having a hollow chamber formed by winding a strip-like structure; the opposite ends of the hollow chamber is in communication with each other, and form an opening for getting and putting away shoes. The shoe rack unit of the present invention has a simple and reasonably designed, saves raw materials, and has good air ventilation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of a Chinese Patent Application No. 201621359765.5, filed on Dec. 12, 2016, wherein the entirety of Chinese priority application incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the technical field of tools for everyday life use, particularly to a shoe rack unit and corresponding shoe rack made therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoes are daily necessities, useful for warding off cold, preventing stabbing and cuts, and providing general foot protection. In ancient times, when manufacture capability is limited, people use bark and animal skins wrapped around feet to serve as shoes, with the advancement of civilization and manufacture capability, people gradually can put on shoes, materials for making shoes have been improved, shoe styles, color, etc. all have been greatly diversified, people now wear different styles of shoes according to their clothing and social occasions. Consequently, today where there is great material wealth, everyone owns many pairs of shoes, leather shoes, sports shoes, cloth shoes, slippers, etc. are must have. Having many pairs of shoes also brought challenges, there is simply not enough space to store the shoes.

Whether in shopping malls or individual homes, we need more space to store shoes. Furthermore, shoes are currently placed mainly in a side-by-side fashion, taking up a large spatial footprint. The current way of storing shoes is also dull, not visually pleasing. Some shoes are placed with two shoes in a pair stacked on top of each other, although this reduces the amount of space occupied, it causes shoes to deform easily, affecting the aesthetics and comfort of the shoes. Some shoes are placed directly in boxes, the boxes are then stacked on top of each other, although this saves space, the stacked shoe boxes are not very stable, the shoes placed inside do not have good air ventilation, causing mildew to form and shoes to rot, wasting valuable resources, and increasing the cost of living.

Therefore, how to make a shoe rack that takes up a small footprint and provides for good shoe ventilation is still a challenge for one skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide a shoe rack unit and corresponding shoe rack, and aim to provide a shoe rack unit that has a simple and reasonable design, saves materials, and has good air ventilation.

The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

-   -   a shoe rack unit, comprising:     -   a main body, the main body is a hollow body with a hollow         chamber formed by winding a stripe-shaped structure;     -   the opposite ends of the hollow chamber are in communication         with each other, and form an opening for getting and putting         away shoes.

In the present technical solution, the shoe rack unit has simple and reasonable design, has adaptable shape, saves materials, has good air ventilation, has maximum shoe viewing angle, is light, requires no assembly, and is convenient to place.

In the present invention, the shoe rack unit can be designed for a single pair of shoes or for multiple pairs of shoes placed side-by-side, the size and style of the shoe rack unit can be selected based on space available for a shoe rack, there is no need to consider making available enough space for the shoe rack, consequently the shoe rack of the present invention saves space and improves interior space utilization; in addition, identical or different shoe rack units can be assembled together or placed in separate spaces according to user needs and local conditions; the shoe rack formed from the shoe rack units can have diverse styles and can be highly individualized.

Furthermore, preferably a connecting member is provided for connecting a plurality of said bodies.

In the present invention, the plurality of shoe rack units is connected to each other through connecting members, this not only allows tight interconnections between the individual shoe rack units, it also makes the shoe rack formed structurally stable, do not collapse or deform easily. The shoe rack unit can be used to form single-column-multiple-level shoe rack or multiple-column-multiple-level shoe rack. There is a wide range of possible ways for combining individual shoe rack units that requires up less space. This type of stackable shoe rack is suitable for both shopping malls and home environments, has a wide range of potential applications, takes up minimum amount of space, is very practical and easy to use.

In the present invention, the shoe rack unit formed by a winding stripe-shaped structure not only saves material, reduces the weight of the shoe rack unit itself, it is also convenient to use connecting members to connect the stripe-shaped structures. A plurality of connecting members can be provided according to needs. Since the connecting member is a standalone unit, it can be easily replaced when damaged. The connecting member is also convenient to use and can be mass-produced similar to the shoe rack unit.

Furthermore, preferably the connecting member is a H-shaped clip, the H-shaped clip is provided with a symmetrically grooves; the grooves are used for securing the stripe-shaped structure.

Furthermore, preferably the cross section of the opening of the body is a triangle; and/or; the triangle is an isosceles triangle, the apex angle of the isosceles triangle is 30-50°.

In the present invention, the triangle is the most stable structure, triangular rack unit ensures its own structural stability, consequently the shoe rack assembled from the triangular shoe rack of units also has good stability.

The present invention further provides a shoe rack, comprising:

-   -   a shoe bracket and a plurality of shoe rack units, said shoe         rack unit is a shoe rack unit according to any one of the         above-described shoe rack unit;     -   the shoe rack unit is stacked on top of the shoe bracket;     -   the shoe bracket comprises a base plate, the two ends of the         base plate extending upwardly to form a first plate and a second         plate respectively;     -   the extension ends of the first plate and the second plate         extend towards each other for form a first support plate and a         second support plate respectively.

In the present invention, a shoe bracket matching the shoe rack unit is provided below the lowermost shoe rack unit, since the shoe bracket provides support and stabilization effect, it improves the stability of the shoe rack formed from the shoe rack units, reduces the load placed on the lowermost shoe rack unit, and increases the service life of the lowermost shoe rack unit.

In the present invention, the design of the shoe bracket and the shoe rack unit is very simple and can be integrally formed, simple stacking can be used to assemble the shoe rack, one does not need to waste time finding cooperating parts before the assembly.

Furthermore, preferably the stripe-shaped structure is a first magnetic member; upper surfaces of the first support plate and the second support plate are each provided with a second magnetic member.

In the present invention, the magnetic force increases tightness and stability of the interconnection between the shoe bracket and the shoe rack unit.

Furthermore, preferably the lower surface of the base plate is provided with a counterweight.

In the present invention, the counterweight increases the stability of the shoe bracket, thus ensuring the stability of the shoe rack.

Furthermore, preferably the base plate, the first plate, the first support plate and the second support plate form a triangle.

In the present invention, triangle is the most stable structure, triangular shoe bracket not only ensures its owns structural stability, it also ensures the stability of the shoe rack.

Furthermore, preferably the triangle is an isosceles triangle; the first plate forms the base of the isosceles triangle; and/or; apex angle of the isosceles triangle is 15-25°.

Furthermore, preferably the lower surface of the base plate is provided with a foot pad for adjusting the height of the shoe bracket.

In the present invention, by adjusting the height of the foot pad, it can make it more convenient for people to use the shoe rack.

By providing a shoe rack unit and corresponding shoe rack, the present invention can bring at least one of the following advantages:

1. In the present invention, the plurality of shoe rack units is connected to each other through one or more connecting members, this not only allows tight interconnections between individual shoe rack units, it also makes the shoe rack formed structurally stable, do not collapse or deform easily. The shoe rack unit can be used to form single-column-multiple-level shoe rack or multiple-column-multiple-level shoe rack. There is a wide range of possible ways for combining the individual shoe rack units that takes up less space. This type of stackable shoe rack is suitable for both shopping malls and home environments, has a wide range of potential applications, takes up minimum amount of space, and is very practical and easy to use.

2. In the present invention, a shoe bracket matching the shoe rack unit is provided below the lowermost shoe rack unit, since the shoe bracket provides support and stabilization effect, it improves the stability of the shoe rack formed from the shoe rack units, reduces the load placed on the lowermost shoe rack unit, increases the service life of the lowermost shoe rack unit.

3. In the present invention, the shoe rack unit can be designed for a single pair of shoes or multiple pairs of shoes placed side-by-side, the size and style of the shoe rack unit can be selected based on space available for the shoe rack, without having to consider making available enough space, thus saves space and improves interior space utilization; in addition, identical or different shoe rack units can be assembled together or placed in separate spaces according to needs and local conditions; the shoe rack formed from the stackable shoe rack units can have diverse styles and is highly individualized.

4. In the present invention, the shoe rack unit formed by winding a stripe-shaped structure not only saves raw materials, it also reduces the weight of the shoe rack unit itself, additionally it is convenient to connect the stripe-shaped structure through connecting members. A plurality of connecting member can be provided based on needs. Since the connection member is a stand-alone unit, it can be replaced when damaged, it is very convenient to use and can be mass-produced like the shoe rack unit.

5. In the present invention, the shoe bracket and the shoe rack unit design has simple design and can be integrally formed, simple stacking and connecting can be used to assemble the shoe rack, the hollow structure of the shoe rack increases air ventilation and shoe view angle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In a clear and understandable manner, in conjunction with description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the above-described characteristics, technical features, and advantages of the shoe rack unit and corresponding shoe rack made therefrom in accordance with the present invention will be further described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a shoe rack unit in accordance with present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a shoe bracket in accordance with present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the structure of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom view of the structure of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of a first embodiment of a shoe rack in accordance with present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a second embodiment of a shoe rack in accordance with present invention.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

Shoe rack unit 100, stripe-shaped structure 110, connecting member 120, shoe bracket 200, base plate 210, first plate 220, second plate 230, first support plate 240, second support plate 250, first magnetic member 260, counterweight 270, foot pad 280.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method; a process; an apparatus; a system; and/or a device. A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the invention is provided below along with accompanying figures that illustrate the principles of the invention. The invention is described in connection with such embodiments, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. In the specification, the various implementations of the invention may be referred to as techniques or technical solutions. In general, the order of the steps of disclosed processes may be altered and one or more steps of disclosed processes may be omitted within the scope of the invention.

To further illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and its implementations, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in reference to the accompanying figures. Apparently, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the invention, those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, can derive other embodiments and drawings of the present invention.

For simplicity, the figures only schematically show parts relevant to the present invention, they do not represent the actual structure of the present invention as a product. Furthermore, for simplicity and easy understanding, for components having the same structure or function in some of the figures, only one of which is schematically illustrates, or only one of which is labeled. In this context, “a” represents both “only this one” and “more than one” of.

In a first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a shoe rack unit, comprising: a body (not labeled), the body having a hollow chamber formed by winding stripe-shaped structure 110; the two ends of the hollow chamber are in communication with each other, and form opening (not labeled) for getting and putting away shoes.

It is worth noting that the shoe rack unit may be formed by winding one or more stripe-shaped structure, and the cross-section of the stripe-shaped structure may be, for example but not limited to, circular, polygonal, ring or oval shaped. The stripe-shaped structure may be made of, for example but not limited to, plastic, metal, or plastic-coated metal. The shoe rack unit may be formed as an integrally structure or formed by connecting a plurality of the hollow bodies. The winding the stripe-shaped structure may produce arc or wave shaped structure, resulting in a shoe rack unit that is unique and has personality.

In a second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, described on the basis of the first embodiment, the stripe-shaped structure 110 is provided with a plurality of connecting members 120, the connecting member 120 is used to connect a plurality of shoe rack units 100, allowing the connected shoe rack units 100 to form an integral shoe rack structure (not labeled). The connecting member 120 is preferably a H-shaped card piece (not labeled) and a symmetrical card slots (not labeled) forming the H-shape of the card piece for securing the stripe-shaped structure 110. Connecting member 120 is preferably made of an elastomer, such as rubber. The cross section of the body is a triangle due to the stability of a triangle. In practice, in order to increase the tightness of the connection between the shoe rack units 100, a plurality of connecting member 120 may be provided to reinforce the connection between the shoe rack units, more preferably when the connecting member 120 is provided at the section of the stripe-shaped structure 110 placed below the shoes, the connecting member 120 can also prevent shoes from slipping.

In a third embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2-6, a shoe rack, comprising: a shoe bracket 200 and a plurality of shoe rack unit 100, the shoe rack unit 100 stacked on top of the shoe bracket 200; the shoe bracket 200 includes a base plate 210, the two ends of the base plate extending upwardly to form a first plate 220 and a second plate 230; the extension ends of the first plate 220 and the second plate 230 extending upwardly to form a first support plate 240 and a second support plate 250.

In a fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2-6, on the basis of the third embodiment, the stripe-shaped structure is a first magnetic member 110 (not labeled); the first support plate 240, and surfaces of the second support plate 250 are each provided with a second magnetic member 260. It should be noted that, when the shoe bracket 200 and the shoe rack unit 100 are both made of non-magnetic material, the shoe rack stability is achieved through the supportive force and frictional force between the shoe bracket 200 and the shoe rack unit 100; when the shoe bracket 200 and the shoe rack unit 100 are made of iron or other magnetic materials, the stability of the shoe rack is further achieved through the magnetic force between the shoe bracket 200 and the shoe rack unit 100. More preferably, the lower surface of the base plate 210 is provided with a counterweight 270, which further increases the stability of the shoe rack. The lower surface of the base plate 210 is provided with foot pads 200 for adjusting the height of the shoe bracket 280, in this way one can adjust the level of the entire shoe bracket higher or lower to meet actual needs.

In a fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2-6, the cross-section of the opening of the shoe rack unit 100 is an isosceles triangle; longitudinal cross section of the shoe bracket 200 is an isosceles triangle (i.e., the base plate 210, the first plate 220, the first support plate 240 and the second support plate 250 form the isosceles triangle, and the first plate 220 forms the base of the isosceles triangle), because the shoe rack unit 100 and the shoe bracket 200 are used cooperatively, in order to ensure the stability of the shoe rack, the sum of the apex angle of the isosceles triangle formed by the shoe rack unit 100 the base angle formed by the isosceles triangle formed by the shoe bracket 200 equal to 90°. When the apex angle of the shoe rack unit 100 is 40°, the apex angle of the shoe bracket 200 is 20°, when the apex angle of the shoe rack unit 100 touches the base angle of the shoe bracket 200, at this time, the shoe rack formed by the shoe rack unit 100 and the shoe bracket 200 is a straight prismatic shape.

In a six embodiment, as show in FIG. 6, described on the basis of the third, fourth and fifth embodiments, there are many possible ways for stacking the shoe rack unit 100 and the shoe bracket 200. The shoe rack unit 100 can be first stacked in a head-to-tail fashion and then stacked on top of the shoe bracket 200. The shoe rack unit 100 can be first stacked together in a tail-to-tail fashion and then stacked on top of the shoe bracket 200. Of course, there are a variety of possible ways for stacking the shoe rack bracket unit 100 and the shoe 200, we will not describe them all here.

It should be noted, the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed. The above are only preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be noted that those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principles of the invention, can make various improvements and modifications, such modifications and modifications should be within the scope of the present invention.

The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various processes, systems, devices, composition of matters, and configurations, and other features, functions, acts and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.

The disclosed embodiments and various details are merely illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting and the invention can be implemented in various alternative ways. Further, the scope of the invention is limited only by the claims and the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoe rack unit, comprising: a main body, wherein the main body is a hollow body having a hollow chamber formed by winding a stripe-like structure; the opposite ends of the hollow chamber are in communication with each other, and form an opening for getting and putting away shoes.
 2. The shoe rack unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a connecting member for connecting a plurality of the main bodies.
 3. The shoe rack unit according to claim 2, wherein: the connecting member is provided with a symmetrical H-shaped clip, the H-shaped clip is provided with symmetrical grooves; the clip is used for securing the strip-like structure.
 4. The shoe rack unit according to claim 1, wherein: the cross section of the opening of the main body forms a first triangle.
 5. The shoe rack unit according to claim 4, wherein: the first triangle is an isosceles triangle, and the apex angle of the isosceles first triangle is 30-50°.
 6. The shoe rack unit according to claim 5, further comprising a connecting member for connecting a plurality of the main bodies.
 7. The shoe rack unit according to claim 6, wherein the connecting member is provided with a symmetrical H-shaped clip, the H-shaped clip is provided with symmetrical grooves; the clip is used for securing the strip-like structure.
 8. A shoe rack, comprising: a shoe bracket and a plurality of shoe rack units; wherein the shoe rack unit is a shoe rack unit that comprises: a main body, wherein the main body is a hollow body having a hollow chamber formed by winding a stripe-like structure; the opposite ends of the hollow chamber are in communication with each other, and form an opening for getting and putting away shoes; the shoe rack unit is stacked on top of the shoe bracket; wherein: the shoe bracket includes a base plate, the two ends of the base plate extending upwardly to form a first plate and a second plate respectively; the extension ends of the first plate and the second plate extending upwardly to form a first support plate and a second support plate respectively.
 9. The shoe rack of claim 8, further comprising: connecting member for connecting a plurality of main bodies.
 10. The shoe rack unit according to claim 9, wherein the connecting member is provided a symmetrical H-shaped clip, the H-shaped clip is provided with symmetrical grooves; wherein the clip is used for securing the strip-like structure.
 11. The shoe rack according to claim 10, wherein: the cross section of the opening of the main body is a triangle (first triangle); and the first triangle is an isosceles triangle, and the apex angle of the isosceles first triangle is 30-50°.
 12. The shoe rack according to claim 8, wherein the stripe-like structure is a first magnetic member; upper surfaces of the first support plate and the second support plate are both provided with a second magnetic member.
 13. The shoe rack according to claim 8, wherein: the lower surface of the base plate is provided with a counterweight.
 14. The shoe rack according to claim 13, wherein: the base plate, the first plate, the first support plate and the second support plate form a second triangle.
 15. The shoe rack according to claim 13, wherein: the second triangle is a isosceles triangle; wherein the first plate forms the base of the isosceles second triangle; and apex angle of the isosceles second triangle is 15-25°.
 16. The shoe rack according to claim 8, wherein: the lower surface of the shoe rack is provided with a foot pad for adjusting the height of the shoe bracket.
 17. The shoe rack according to claim 8, wherein: the stripe-like structure is a first magnetic member; upper surfaces of the first support plate and the second support plate are both provided with a second magnetic member. the lower surface of the base plate is provided with a counterweight. the base plate, the first plate, the first support plate and the second support plate form a second triangle. the second triangle is an isosceles triangle; the first plate forms the base of the isosceles second triangle; and apex angle of the isosceles second triangle is 15-25°; the lower surface of the shoe rack is provided with a foot pad for adjusting the height of the shoe bracket.
 18. A shoe rack, comprising: a shoe bracket and a plurality of shoe rack units; wherein: the shoe rack unit is a shoe rack unit that comprises a main body, wherein the main body is a hollow body having a hollow chamber formed by winding a stripe-like structure; the opposite ends of the hollow chamber are in communication with each other, and form an opening for getting and putting away shoes; the shoe rack unit is stacked on top of the shoe bracket; the shoe bracket includes a base plate, the two ends of the base plate extending upwardly to form a first plate and a second plate respectively; the extension ends of the first plate and the second plate extending upwardly to form a first support plate and a second support plate respectively; a connecting member for connecting a plurality of main bodies; the connecting member is provided a symmetrical H-shaped clip, the H-shaped clip is provided with symmetrical grooves; wherein the clip is used for securing the strip-like structure; wherein the cross section of the opening of the main body is a triangle (first triangle); the first triangle is an isosceles triangle, and the apex angle of the isosceles first triangle is 30-50°; wherein the strip-like structure is a first magnetic member; upper surfaces of the first support plate and the second support plate are both provided with a second magnetic member; the lower surface of the base plate is provided with a counterweight; wherein the base plate, the first plate, the first support plate and the second support plate form a second triangle; wherein the second triangle is a isosceles triangle; wherein the first plate forms the base of the isosceles second triangle; and apex angle of the isosceles second triangle is 15-25°; wherein the lower surface of the shoe rack is provided with a foot pad for adjusting the height of the shoe bracket. 